In late winter, as the snow is at its thickest, crossbils are looking for sand pieces that they need for their digestion. As the exposed sand sites are very few, almost anything does, as the pieces of concrete from the chimney of the research station. In the photo (down in the corners) two Parrot crossbills (males, Loxia putyopsittacus).

In the evening some granular snow fell down to ground in Värriö. Those small, roundy granules come only from Stratus-clouds, also known as fogclouds. The friction between the granules and ground is rather small, since the granules roll very easily. Therefore, a layer of granular snow under heavy snow on steep slopes may trigger avalanches.På eftermiddag någon snökorn duggade i Värriö. Snökorn, som faller bara från Stratus-moln, rullar lett i jord och därför tung snö över snökorn kan tillfoga snöskred.(E-MK)

The "official" snow depth in Varrio is 59 cm, and all is still white in the Nature reserve. Warm southern wind has now prevailed for days and the wind brought the first finch (Common chaffinch, Frincilla coelebs) to the yard of Varrio station. This was male, but it was not yet ready to sing. - The old Finnish saying tells that there is Half a month from chaffinch - to summer.

Plenty of hanging lichens, especially of the species Bryoria fuscescens, is growing in Varrio Nature Reserve. This species is typical to northern old Scots pine forests. These hanging lichens are sensitive to air pollution. The abundance of Bryoria fuscescens tells that the air quality of Eastern Lapland is nowadays pretty good.

Reindeers eat the Bryoria lichen that has fallen from the trees. These lichens are important in the late spring when the frozen snow is so hard that the reindeers cannot dig through it. They must eat Bryoria lichens until the snow softens and melts away.

Kevättie Värriöön - Spring track to Varrio Nature Reserve

At the end of April the Varrio forest is full of snow and full of light. The snow has melted from the Norway spruce trees. The snow scooter track to the station has been packed hard by the regular traffic.

Already on 31.3.06 I saw a flock of Two barried Crossbills (Loxia leucoptera) 5-6 birds on the boarder to the south of valley Pirunkuru. 2.4. couple of them were near the station. For some reason Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) and Two barried Crossbills got away for the coldest winter, and became back like migratory birds on the last days.

Also Capercaillies (Tetrao urogallus) have started to sweep the wing. 31.3. I saw tracks of them on the mating place to the east of Hirvasjoki.